Hong Kong's private hospitals are reported to be the unlikely benefactors of the relaxation of controls on mainland tourists coming to Hong Kong.

Apparently, not all of them come for shopping and sightseeing. Some major private hospitals say they have received many mainland visitors in the past few weeks asking for information on medical services ranging from physical checkups to diagnosis and treatment.

The potential business opportunities indicated by this show of interest has not been ignored. Many private hospitals are designing service packages to lure mainland clients. They are also seeking government help to promote Hong Kong's medical services in major mainland cities.

The Hong Kong medical service is widely recognized as one of the best in the region. All the public and private hospitals operate under the strict supervision of the government medical department. Most hospitals, especially the public ones, are well equipped to handle a wide range of cases.

But the most valuable asset must be highly-trained and well-qualified doctors, nurses and other health-care workers. The dedication and professionalism of the front-line medical staff in Hong Kong was amply demonstrated in the fight against the outbreak of the deadly SARS epidemic between March and June this year. Top quality staff have to be a major reason why mainland people are coming to Hong Kong to seek medical treatment.

The government should take the lead in capitalizing on these assets to vigorously promote Hong Kong's medical service not only on the mainland but also in other neighbouring Asian countries. Such promotion can be done through the overseas offices of the government as well as the Trade Development Council (TDC).

Indeed, it is known that representatives of the hospitals will meet with the TDC later this week to discuss the matter.

This is a good start because close co-operation with the medical profession is essential to mount a successful campaign to promote Hong Kong's medical services.

It is important for such a campaign to be done right from the very beginning in order to establish the confidence in Hong Kong's medical facilities. The stakes are high. It is a service that can generate hundreds of millions of dollars in export earnings a year. Part of the earnings would inevitably be ploughed back into upgrading the medical service to the benefit of the people of Hong Kong.

(HK Edition 09/22/2003 page5)